Acquiescence Around Me
by anxiousgeek
Summary: What if, at the end of Hathor, Sam and Jack didn't stop the Goa'uld Queen Hathor and it all went horribly wrong. Some Sam/Hathor.


This wasn't the way it was supposed to go.

It was her last thought before she was sent flying back against flying back against the white tiles of the locker room wall with a flash of orange light, They had knocked out a couple of guards, but Hathor had been quicker, had seen them as she and Jack had stormed into the room. As she hit the wall, she dropped her tranquilliser gun, hitting the floor with a thump, her Berretta coming loose from her belt. She saw Jack fly back too and tried to push herself up but fell back down again, a jolt of pain going up her spine to her skull and making Sam groan. Several of her colleagues approached her, armed, and as she groped around the floor for one of her guns, she realised there was a problem.

There were three of everything.

A boot came down hard on her hand, and she grit her teeth against the pain. Three Hathors stood before her, with three Daniels and she slumped back.

Lt. Jeffrey lifted his foot and she snapped her hand away from the floor, cradling it against her chest.

"On your feet," Hathor commanded.

Sam ignored her, checking her hand. It hurt like hell, but she didn't think there were any broken bones. Her skull on the other hand, felt like it had been split in two. When she didn't immediately rise, the two Hathors nodded at Lt. Jeffrey and General Hammond. As they each grabbed her arms and pulled her up, she noted that her vision was improving even though her situation wasn't.

When she was on her feet, held upright by her boss and colleague, Hathor slapped her, hard, but When she was on her feet, held upright, Hathor slapped her hard but kept silent, looking directly into Hathor's eyes. hard to do when trying to choose between the two, but she managed to remain still when Hathor's hand moved towards her cheek once more. The Goa'uld cupped it this time.

"Such strength and beauty, Carter," she said. "Take her to your place of healing," she said, with a wave of her hand.

"We call it the infirmary," Daniel said quietly.

"Find the other females and kill them, and the Jaffa Teal'c.," Hathor added.

Sam dropped her head as she was led away. Not a single person had questioned Hathor's order to kill.

z

Waking up in the infirmary, sometime later, Sam assumed she'd fallen unconscious at some point. She recognised the room as a side room, set apart from the rest of the infirmary. Sam also assumed she was locked in, well guarded, seeing the backs of two heads outside. Considering everything else was in focus she figured there were two guards.

She was attached to a drip, felt a bandage around her head, and went to touch it with her hand, to adjust it slightly but found herself bound to the bed. She tried her legs, and they were free, but it didn't help much. The panic hit before the pain did, but only just, reminding her of just how completely fucked she was moments before reminding her that she'd banged her head pretty hard, and had her foot stood on. She looked around the room, and noted how a lot of the equipment had been moved out. No computer, no defibrillator, no access to the outside and no weapons. The panic dulled the pain a little, but Sam wasn't sure that made her feel any better.

Dr. Warner walked in, with Major Castleman, by his side, armed with both a handgun and a tranquilliser gun.

"Ah, you're awake? How are you feeling?" Warner asked, with a smile.

"Are they dead?" Sam asked. "Teal'c, Janet, Major Warren?"

"Not really my department, Captain," he told her. "I'm sure the Goddess Hathor will have dealt with them well."

"The Goddess Hathor," Sam spat. "You're all fucking puppets now?!"

"We worship the Goddess Hathor," Castleman said. "She'll keep us safe from all the other Goa'uld, put us on the right path."

"Path to destruction maybe," Sam snapped back.

"She is our Queen," Castleman yelled, raising his weapon up. Sam turned her head, expecting the butt of it to connect hard with her skull.

"Stop!" Warner cried, reaching out and grabbed the gun. "Hathor said she is not to be harmed again. That she must heal."

"What's so special about Carter? We killed the others!" He asked, lowering his weapon again.

Sam let out an '_oh'_, and fought the tears that had started to well out. They didn't noticed and she held onto the sadness she felt now. As well as the panic, the fear and the pain. Bad day. Bad fucking day, she thought.

"I don't know Major, I'm just here to heal her," Warner said, with a shrug.

He didn't seem to care Sam noted and it angered her more than she could hold onto.

"You bastards!" Sam yelled, fighting against the chains holding her down. "You killed them! They were your colleagues, your friends! Janet and Teal'c have saved the lives of every person on this damn base!"

"They tried to kill our Queen," Castleman growled.

"To save the rest of you idiots," she said, "You're under her influence and you don't even know it!" she screamed, sounding hysterical in her own ears but unable to stop her rant. "Lt. Payne, Yolanda, she was your friend Castleman!"

"Warner, shut her up!" he replied.

"Maybe you should step outside Major."

Castleman jabbed the end of his gun on the bed a couple of times, before leaving the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Now, I suggest you calm down, Captain Carter, you've got a fractured skull, and a concussion," Warner said. "You need to rest."

"I need to get out of here," she said, pulling at the bonds again, feeling tears building.

"You're not going anywhere. How are you feeling?"

"Angry."

"And your head?" he said, with a chuckle.

"Hurts," she muttered.

"It will for a while, but it will settle down after a few days."

She didn't reply and Warner made a few notes on his clipboard.

"I'll have some dinner sent through," he said, "assuming you're hungry?"

He waited for her to answer but when she said nothing, he left the room. Sam slammed her head back against the pillow, regretting it immediately, and cried over the pain and the loss of her friends.

z

When Hathor walked in, flanked by General Hammond and Major Louis Ferretti , she didn't know whether to cry in defeat or scream in anger. She pulled against the bonds, trying to get at Hathor even though she knew it was almost impossible.

"You bitch," she said, choosing quiet anger over defeat. She wasn't going to give up, even if Ferretti 's subservient expression was disheartening to see. She couldn't see his stomach, but had a horrible feeling she knew what was beneath the clothing.

"We are not above reprimanding you for insulting us," Hathor said. "We are your Goddess and saviour."

"You are a parasite with technology."

Hathor moved forward, faster than she really should be able to Sam thought and slapped her hard on the same cheek as before.

"What is your first name, Carter?" she asked, stroking her burning cheek with a couple of fingers, smiling when Sam kept still under the touch. "We have learned that the people of this world have many names."

"None of your business."

"It's Sa-" Hammond when to say, but Hathor raised a hand to silence him.

"She will tell us or she will die."

"You won't kill me," Sam said, smiling a little. "If you were, you'd have killed me along with Teal'c, and the others."

"We didn't kill the others," Hathor said, with a laugh. "Though we cannot guarantee that they remain alive."

"What do you mean?"

"Tell us your name and we shall reveal it to you."

"Sam, my name is Sam. Short for Samantha. Happy?" she asked, desperate, and feeling a little hope reignite. "Now what did you do with them?"

"We sent them to Chulak."

Sam gasped.

"Why? Why do that?"

"To send the Lord Apophis a message, that we, the Goddess Hathor had retuned and will reclaim our rightful position within the galaxy."

"They'll be killed before they even get to deliver the message."

"Perhaps."

"Why am I still alive?" Sam asked.

"It has been thousands of years since we have had a new host. And now, without a sarcophagus to regenerate this body. We will need a new one, once you have healed."

She smiled at Sam and walked away, taking Hammond and Ferretti with her. Once she was out of the room Sam promptly leaned over the side of the bed and threw up.

z

Hathor didn't come and see her for another week. She was left chained to the bed for most of the time, in the care and company of Doctor Warner and Lt. Conner. Who was less likely to injure her than Castleman if she insulted Hathor.

Conner was an upstanding airman, Sam had respect for him and under normal conditions she knew he wouldn't say a word to her. Hathor's drug had given him loose lips though, and he liked telling her about his Queen's plans. About the army of Jaffa she was creating. About his own infant symbiote. Every word said with delight, joy, he was happy about it all. Despite the occasional confused look in his glazed eyes.

It made her want to cry or scream again, but she did neither and held her ground, remaining almost passive to Conner and Warner's eyes.

Inside she was thinking about escape. How to get out of the chains, out of the room, off the level and out of the base. She was running through dozen of situations but not coming up with much. One woman, unarmed, against two hundred armed airmen and a Goa'uld queen. She knew the odds of getting out. They weren't bad, they were awful, terrible, and a number of other adjectives. Sam had the time to think them up while she was stuck in the infirmary alone. It was either think or sleep.

She was asleep when Hathor sent for her.

Conner shook her awake, and she opened her eyes to see Ferretti unchaining her from the bed.

"Major," she mumbled, still half asleep.

"Goddess Hathor wishes to see you, Carter."

He urged her up, and she stood quicker than she should've she realised as she almost fell to the floor. Ferritti made a grab for her, pulling her upright before she fell to the floor. She hadn't moved much in the past week, and the room was spinning a little, her screaming a lot, and she was holding tight onto the Major.

"Let's go slowly," he said.

"Good idea."

He sat her down again, and she stretched her legs out, taking a few deep breaths, with her eyes closed. When she opened them again, the room had stopped spinning and Ferretti was smiling at her.

"Better?" he asked.

She nodded, slowly, and he helped her to her feet again. Feeling a little more secure this time, she took a step, and stayed on her feet.

"Good to go?" he asked.

"What does she want?"

"To show you something."

"Did she-" she trailed off and made a cross symbol in the air over his stomach.

"Oh yeah," he said, smiling. "I'm her First Prime, cool huh?"

"First prime," she said. "Major, I'm so sorry."

"Why?" he asked, completely baffled.

"Just- I'm just sorry."

He frowned at her and he gave her a nudge.

"Come on, shouldn't keep the Goddess Hathor waiting," he said, with a grin.

She didn't fight him, and fell into step behind him, trying to walk as straight as she could, her hands now handcuffed together and Lt. Conner walking behind her. She managed a few steps but felt herself tipping over again, only for Conner to hold her upright. In the end, they flanked her and dragged her down the corridor. So much for Ferretti being nice, she thought.

She was tempted to make a run for it there and then, to see how she far she get, despite the fact she could barely walk, because with a little time alone she could get out of the cuffs but she wasn't sure she'd get far enough to do so. Not without any way to get through the security, with every man on the base out to stop her, and Ferretti and Conner armed.

She also wanted to see what Hathor had to show her, and what had been going on in the mountain while she'd been stuck in a side room of the infirmary.

They headed into the elevator and she entertained the idea of escape again, of knocking Conner and Ferretti out, but instead leaned back against the wall of the elevator.

They went straight down to Level 28 and into the control room, where Hathor was standing, Daniel by her side. It was still the same room, but Hathor had decided to decorate, hanging elaborate tapestries over the super computers. Something else caught Sam's attention though

In the Gate Room, there were thirty SGC personnel in full gear ready to embark, and as she stepped closer she could see more standing the corridors.

"Our new army is ready to leave on their first mission for their Goddess Hathor," she said, coming to stand next to her.

"Which is?"

"We require a ship, and more advanced weapons than your planet has to offer, a sarcophagus perhaps, if we are to take this world for ourselves.

"You won't manage it."

"We took this base in less than two days. We shall take your planet in less."

Sam shook her head.

"Are they all Jaffa?" she asked saddened more by that. She considered Hathor's claim arrogant and impossible, her friends and colleagues now just cannon fodder, sacrifices on the name of their Goddess.

"Indeed," she said. "We shall take your world and with these billions of humans, create and an army to take over all the System Lords."

"Where is Colonel O'Neill?" Sam asked. She noticed he wasn't in the gateroom, wasn't with Hathor and she realised she hadn't seen him since they had tried to stop Hathor together. In the mess of everything else that had gone on since they had tried to stop Hathor, she had forgotten about him. She felt a little guilty, and a sick feeling at the pit of her stomach, knowing the answer wasn't going to be a good one.

"He did no longer worship his Goddess, he was sent to Chulak with the Shol'vah and the females."

"Oh-."

She swallowed, the sick feeling growing and rising up, some tears threatening. She hadn't thought he would be dead, but back to serving Hathor, and she wasn't sure which was worse, considering how the other men on the base were now Hathor's slaves. At least there was a little hope for them though. There was no hope for Jack and the others on Chulak.

At Hathor's command Walter Davis dialled up an address Sam didn't recognise.

"How has no one stopped you yet?"

"The good General Hammond has been dealing with your government for us," she said. "And any who come to investigate quickly worship their Queen."

Someone came up and gave Ferretti his vest and a P-90 and he kitted up.

"See you soon Carter," he said, grinning at her. He saluted Hathor, face serious in a second and ran down to the gate room. The men parted for him, and he led them through the gate.

She felt sick and dizzy. And a little bit heartbroken.

As the last of the SGC personnel went through the Stargate, Sam took a step away from Conner and pulled at the cuffs, just to test them. No one noticed as she took another step away from him and towards the stairs, everyone watching the men leaving through the gate below, entranced in Hathor's spell. She took a deep breath, tried to push the dull throb of her head and the slight dizziness out of her mind, and took one last step towards the stairs before dashing down them and out of the control room. She heard Hathor screaming out orders behind her, unable to hear them properly through the rush of blood and panic and ran as far as she could, looking for a way off the level, or somewhere to hide. When she found the entrance to the shaft leading all the way to the surface she felt a little joy before she felt the bullet pierce her shoulder and knock her over.

It seared through the skin, and Sam cried grabbing her shoulder. Turning onto her back she saw Conner standing at the other end of the corridor, his gun in his raised arm.

He looked a little shocked.

"Fool!"

Hathor stormed down towards Sam and stood over her, eyes glowing.

"We are most disappointed," she said. "Now we must wait longer before we can take you as host."

"Wouldn't you heal me quicker?" Sam spat.

"Your Queen would be in pain!"

"Yeah, I can vouch for that," Sam muttered through a clenched jaw.

"Return her to your doctor."

"Yes, Hathor," Conner said.

Sam lay back and bled on the floor, deciding that trying had to count for something.

z

"Do you really want me as a host?" Sam asked, closing her eyes as Hathor walked into the room. "Or am I just a back up in case your body fails before you get another sarcophagus?"

"Why do you persist in your attempts to stop your Queen?" she asked, ignoring Sam's question. "I can offer you rich rewards, a life of luxury for eternity, as my host or by my side."

"I'd rather die."

"And you shall, if you do not acquiesce."

Hathor ran a hand over Sam's cheek, and down to her injured shoulder. She pushed the gown aside to see the wound, and pressed her fingers down on the centre of the dressing. Sam cried out in pain, and when Hathor stopped, smiling at her, she took a deep breath, feeling dizzy now, her shoulder throbbing.

"We would be delighted to have you by our side."

"Is that what you want?" Sam asked.

She was confused, and Hathor started to alternate between caressing her shoulder, and injuring her. Fingers stroking the bare skin of her shoulder, and pressing down on the gunshot wound. She managed to keep her responses in check, only gasping now and then, sucking her breath on, when Hathor hurt her, or even caressed her.

Which was a little disturbing.

"Wouldn't you like to be a Goddess?" she asked. "Be our Princess and plaything."

"Hell, no."

Hathor pouted and pressed down on the wound, harder than before, and Sam couldn't help cry out in pain.

"You will have no choice," she told Sam.

She leaned over her and kissed Sam on the lips, hard and forceful, pushing the blonde down into the pillow so she could not move her head away, could not escape Hathor's touch.

When she pulled away, Sam spat in her face, and received a slap in return.

"You will be our lover, Samantha, you, our beloved Daniel, and anyone else on this planet that we desire."

She wasn't quite what else to say to that. She didn't have any more arguments or insults, and certainly no escape plans. When Hathor went to leave the room, she pulled against the chains out of habit and growled in frustration.

"All the women of this world will suffer two fates, Samantha. They will serve their Queen, or they will die."

"Half the planet are women, you can't control them all."

"But we can kill them."

"How long are you going to keep me prisoner?" Sam asked.

"Until one of our children have matured," Hathor replied, smiling. "Years. You will have accepted your fate by then. You will be our lover long before then."

"Not likely."

Hathor continued to smile as she left the room.

z

She had a plan.

More accurately, she went back to the original plan; kill Hathor.

She'd been trapped on her own base, in an infirmary side room, for almost two weeks with little idea of what was going on outside the door. Warner had treated her wounds, the injury to her shoulder was slowly healing, but he told her little. She hadn't seen Conner since he had shot her, and didn't like to think about where he was, because she knew in all likelihood he was dead. Another dead. She now had Lt. Rhodes guarding her and he was less chatty, and she felt more isolated, a little more afraid and desperate.

"Gym time, Captain Carter," Rhodes said. Sam looked around him and through the door to see two airmen waiting for her as usual.

"An hour in the exercise yard, can't wait," she said.

Rhodes smirked. "You life would be better if you become Hathor's beloved now rather then when you become a host."

"So she says."

He shrugged and she held out her arms for him to put the handcuffs on. She knew the routine, she'd fallen into it easily.

"No handcuffs," Warner said, holding his hand out to stop him. "It's impeding her wound from healing properly."

Rhodes looked at Sam for a minute thinking it over.

"Don't try anything, I don't want to have to shoot you like Conner did."

"I'll behave. I just want to stretch my legs."

Rhodes nodded and led her out of the room and down the corridor, the two airmen just behind her. As they approached the elevator she took a moment to think about what she was going to do, a single breath, then she threw herself forward onto the lieutenant. They went tumbling to the ground, the two airmen reacting immediately, pointing their handguns at Sam. She rolled onto her back, ignoring the pain in her shoulder and put her hands up. Next to her Rhodes scrambled back to his feet.

"Sorry, skull fractures make you a little dizzy," she told him.

"You okay, Sir?" one of the Airmen asked Rhodes.

"Fine, fine."

He helped Sam to her feet and she smiled at him, rotating her shoulder with a hiss of pain.

"Thanks."

"No problem Captain. Just mind your step okay? Don't want to injure yourself any more."

She nodded, eyes drifting down to his belt buckle where she'd managed to open the clip of his knife sheath during their fall to the floor. He didn't seem to have noticed, not the guards with them, and as she headed into the elevator she wobbled again.

"You know, maybe we should skip the exercise yard for today," she said, "I don't feel so good."

"Okay, let's get you back to the doctor."

They walked back the way they came, and as she headed back through the infirmary door, she brushed by Rhodes, slipping the knife smoothly from it's sheath in the moments her body blocked what she was doing from the eyes of the airmen behind her. She pushed the knife up her sleeve, gasping as it nicked her skin.

"Captain?"

"Headache just kicked in," she said quickly, reaching up to hold her head.

"Skull fractures are a bitch huh?" Rhodes said with a smile.

"So I've discovered," she said forcing a smile out, feeling a little trickle of blood roll down her sleeve.

"Hey doc, better get the captain some painkillers," Rhodes said, as they took her into the side room that had become her home.

"What's wrong?" Warner asked, almost panicked.

"I'm okay, Doctor, just a headache," she muttered.

"You worried 'bout her, doc?" Rhodes asked.

"I'm worried about myself, as you should be after what happened to Conner."

Sam frowned, her suspicions confirmed but she didn't comment on it.

"I'm going to lie down," she said. Warner and Rhodes nodded.

"I'll be back in a second," Warner said, heading back through the door.

"Take care now, Captain," Rhodes said with a cheery smile, but that slightly confused look in his eyes.

She stretched her arm out straight, trying not to glace up at the camera in the corner of the room. The blood would dry quickly enough, and if she could keep from cutting herself again until night, she would be able to the hide the knife under her mattress without anyone seeing and could clean herself up.

She had a weapon.

And a little hope.

z

She woke that night to find Hathor sitting at the end of her bed, stroking her leg as it stuck out from beneath the covers. She pulled away on instinct, curling up at the other side of the bed.

"You still resist your Queen."

Sam forced herself to relax a little, stretching her legs back out and sitting up straight.

"You startled me. That's all," she said.

Hathor smiled, nodding, but Sam couldn't smile back not when the Goa'uld moved closer to her.

"Your Doctor Warner tells me you were ill today."

"It's nothing serious. Just dizziness."

"We have stopped our search for a sarcophagus in favour of increasing our ranks and armoury."

"Makes sense."

"Which means you must continue to heal yourself."

"I'll manage."

"We are most pleased to hear this."

Hathor smiled again and leaned over to look at the wound on the shoulder. She pulled the thin strap of her camisole down and took off the bandage.

"It didn't do too much damage," Sam said.

"Your Captain Conner was punished."

Sam didn't reply to that, didn't want to think about it. She had to concentrate on the task at hand.

Hathor kissed the wound and Sam stiffened, she couldn't help her reaction and took a deep breath. As Hathor moved her way up Sam's neck, placing little kisses on the skin. She felt sick, but didn't pull away, didn't resist. Hathor moved again, straddling Sam's legs and kissing her on the lips.

Sam kissed back, ignoring the revulsion, and the anger. As their lips connected Hathor's eyes glowed and Sam could see it under her own closed lids, making it harder to ignore who she was kissing, and drift off for the moment, and pretend she was kissing someone else. Anyone else.

"You have come around quicker than we expected," Hathor said, pulling away and looking down at her.

"Lt. Rhodes said life would be easier if I did," Sam said. "And that I could get a better room."

"Perhaps," Hathor said.

Sam smiled, hoping it looked real, or hopeful, or anything other than disgusted.

Whatever she looked like, Hathor kissed her again. She kissed back, holding still as Hathor's hands ran up her arms, over her neck, and into her hair. She pulled at the short blonde tresses but Sam didn't pull back, kissing her harder instead. She ran a hand up one leg, slipping it beneath the red skirt of her elaborate outfit and caressing the skin of her thigh. Skin that was incredibly soft, and Sam had to concentrate on the glowing eyes and deaths of her friends, which wasn't too hard. Alone in her room, she had nothing but time to think about her friends that were likely dead, her friends that were lost to Hathor, she was not going to be distracted from her plans by some soft skin and persuasive kisses.

It was an awkward position to try and reach for the knife that was tucked securely under her mattress and didn't quite know what to do. She knew the power and strength of the Goa'uld, the speed in which they could react, and Hathor's hand device was pressing into her delicate skull.

She should've been ready, she supposed, Colonel O'Neill would be disappointed with her for not being prepared for the situation, but she didn't want to give Hathor any indication of anything.

So she kept kissing her, caressing her thigh with one hand still, the other holding her hip. Hathor moved a little against her, shifting her hips and Sam arched up to keep up her pretence, that she wanted this, wanted Hathor.

"We are most pleased," the Goa'uld Queen said. "My beloved."

"Yes, Hathor," Sam whispered.

"You wish to please your Queen."

Sam couldn't speak, but managed to nod. Hathor smiled, and cupped her cheek.

"We meant what we said, you are exceedingly beautiful."

"Thank you, Hathor."

"In time you will worship us."

"In time," Sam muttered.

"And you will worship this body."

Sam nodded, and kissed Hathor on the lips, hand stroking her thigh a little as she did so, hoping her kisses were as good as the ones she received. Not that she wanted to really think about that. She hadn't kissed a woman since she was the academy, but then, she wasn't really sure she'd consider Hathor a woman. When she pulled away Hathor smiled at her, and Sam felt a little relief that she was still keeping up the act.

"Perhaps it is time you were moved to somewhere more comfortable. Somewhere more fitting, though, you mountain is inadequate for your Queen."

Sam nodded, very relieved when Hathor moved from where she was straddling Sam and stood up. Sam shifted to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching beneath the mattress to gab the handle of the knife. Hathor turned and smiled.

"I will return," she told her.

Sam nodded, gripping the blade hard, and stood and bowed her head. Hathor seemed pleased, nodding in return, and turned away to leave.

Sam made her move.

It was one quick step, one hard swing of her arm, stabbing Hathor in the back of the neck.

The Goa'uld fell forward and Sam fell backwards.

z

She woke up back in the bed.

The door was open, she wasn't bound to the bed, and Daniel was sitting next to her.

"Hathor?" she asked.

"Dead," he told her.

"Good."

She closed her eyes again. She hadn't realised how tired she was, how tired all this had made her feel. Daniel took her hand and squeezed, making her smile.

"When we all came around there was a lot of confusion, found you and Hathor on the floor in here when we started bringing the Airmen with symbiotes to the infirmary."

"How many?"

"About half."

"You?" she asked.

"No, I was lucky."

She opened her eyes to see him stroking his stomach subconsciously.

"Does everyone remember?"

"Pretty much."

"Good. I think."

She knew it was maybe a little selfish, but she was glad she wasn't the only one who remembered the chaos of the past two weeks.

"I should go tell Warner you're awake," he said.

"No, no, I'm okay," she said, reaching out and grabbing him.

"You've been pretty isolated in here," he said.

Sam nodded, settling back into the pillows, smiling at him and keeping hold of his hand for a moment.

"It can wait a bit," he said.

"Tell me more about what's going on."

"Well, Hammond is back in charge, but there are several people from the Pentagon are here too," Daniel told her. "The airmen with symbiotes are being examined at a USAF hospital."

"What about Colonel O'Neill?" she asked. "Teal'c, Fraiser?"

"No one knows. Hammond can't even get permission to send a MALP through. All gate travel is suspended."

"They could be alive," she said.

"They could be dead."

He sounded defeated, and when he looked at her, he was trying not to cry.

"What else is going on?"

"They're talking about shutting the programme down."

"No! They can't."

She sat up quickly, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

"Where are you going?"

"To see General Hammond."

"Sam, it's too late. It's over. The base was completely taken over for two weeks, the President has decided the risk is too big," he said. "It's over."

He was trying hard to keep the tears back, and she could barely keep hers in, a few finally slipping down her cheeks. She reached out to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"It's not over. Not completely," she whispered. "Not completely, I promise."

"I hope you're right Sam."

"I am. We're going to get the Stargate programme running, get Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c and Janet back, then carry on looking for Sha're," she said, moving quickly and getting to her feet. She wobbled and fell back to the bed easily when Daniel nudged her gently. She frowned at him and he managed a smile.

"With a skull fracture, a new concussion, and a gunshot wound?" he asked.

She smiled back.

"Okay, maybe when I'm a bit better," she said. "But I will do it."

"I know," he said. "I'll get Doctor Warner."

She nodded and let him leave this time, lying back down, smiling because she was sure she could deliver her promises to Daniel. It had to be easier than single-handedly killing a Goa'uld Queen.


End file.
